Senator Udall

Congressman Gardner

Gentlemen greetings:

I would like to thank both of you for responding to my communications.  It's nice to know that you and your staff take time to read and respond to all emails and letters you receive. 

I like to take another moment of your time to make you aware of yet another concern, not just mine, but all seniors all across America.  Recently I had a conversation with some high school students, who took the President's class envy warfare rhetoric to the next level.  They can’t understand how people, who accumulated as much wealth as Warren Buffett, could pay fewer taxes than their secretaries.  I tried to explain that during the accumulation phase, these people (the rich) pay income tax like the rest of us do.  People like Mr. Buffett then invest money and then take it from the investments under a different tax rate.  If they (the students), earn money and invest it, then someday they themselves will take income as capital gains.  At that time hopefully, the capital gains rate will still be low.  I further explained that their parents and maybe their grandparents are living off of their investments now, and did they want taxes raised on people who are just barely getting by?  This brought up the subject of entitlements. (This for me is no better than a four letter word.) I explained to these young people that Social Security (although it has become a Ponzi scheme, it was never meant to be.) It's unbelievable/unreasonable how the word entitlement gets twisted around in Washington.  But at this time these young people see Social Security as a burden on society.  They believe they will be paying taxes so that the government can pay old people who are no longer productive.  This, by itself is a dangerous thought to have in the minds of the next generation of potential leaders.  I attempted to give them a different definition of entitlement.  That I, once Social Security was enacted, no one was given the opportunity to opt out of it.  The money that was collected from everyone's paycheck in the form of Social Security taxes.  With the promise from our government that the money would be put in a fund, allowed to grow over time, and at a future date and time(set by the same government) we would then receive payment out of the Social Security Fund in a prescribed manner/and amount, that was set forth by the Social Security Act.  Yes, now that I've reached that age I am entitled to receive the promise that my government made. (That is a simple return on my investment with interest).  Social Security has always been an investment based government program.  A program that was enacted by Washington and overseen by Congress and the Senate, it may now need some adjustments to continue because it has been mismanaged, and has become a Ponzi scheme.  I also explain to these young people that Medicare is a premium based program for seniors.  One pays premiums into the program through tax collection over there working lifetime and continue to pay premiums for the remainder of their lifetime.

I'm not sure if I've ever heard either of you gentlemen use these references.  But the people who do are intentionally or unintentionally advancing a dangerous message for America’s future. 

One of the more astute students asked me, if Social Security was the law, and if the law has been broken then why is it that politicians aren’t sharing a cell with Bernie Madoff?

Help me out!  I don’t have an answer for that.

Thank you for your time.

From one concerned citizen.

Robert Smith